“Jim Hickey notified us yesterday of his decision to step down as pitching coach and leave the organization for personal reasons,” Theo Epstein, the team's president of baseball operations said in a statement. “We thank Jim for his season with the Cubs and his positive impact on our pitchers. Jim has our full support and we all wish him well.”

Hickey is the second coach to leave the ​Cubs this offseason, as hitting coach Chili Davis was fired earlier in October.

Hickey was hired last season, and under his supervision, the team compiled a 3.65 ERA to go along with 1,333 strikeouts and a 1.31 WHIP.

Hickey, a former player, was selected in the 13th round of the 1983 June Amateur Draft by the ​​Chicago White Sox, but never found his way to the majors as he spent all seven seasons of his professional career in the minors.

Hickey took over for Chris Bosio in Chicago, but now the Cubs are going to have their third pitching coach in three seasons.